The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-29
BEAUTIFUL WOOTON.
A COUNTRY HOME OF TASTE AND
REFINEMENT.

Comfort and Rest-Lovely Autumn
Scenes About the Superb House and
Grounds-A Charming Little Pavilion
"A Highly Cultivated Farm.
From. the Cincinnati Enquirer.
When Mrs. Cleveland was entertained by
Mr.. and Mrs. George w. Childs at Wooton,
near Philadelphia, last week, they saw what
is perhaps the finest country place in
America.
The place has been in Mr.. Childs' posses
sion about seven years, and it mas been
brought to its present state of beauty only
by incessant care and labor and the ex-
penditure of large fortune. 1t is intended
for comfort and beauty altogether, and,
with these ends in view, it is kept up to a
very high standard. A large force of men
are employed
ALL THE YEAR ROUND,
and the expenditure in the form of current
wages, since the place came into Mr.. Cbilds'
possession, has been about Sl25, 900. None
of this money has come back to Mr.. Childs
in any way, for nothing raised upon the
grounds is ever sold The surplus is given
away, much of it going to the poor people
round about and in Philadelphia, and some
of it to further points.
To go to the place you get off at Bryn
Mawr, a fashionable suburb, about fourteen
miles out. Wooton is a mile and quarter
away. If you do not care to go over in a
carriage you will find the walk any of these
fair autumn afternoons a delightful one
Mr.. Childs has laid board walk nearly all
the distance
The splendid extent of the place may be
inferred from the fact that it has lawn of
sixty acres and a road front of mile and a
quarter A lodge, overgrown with vines.
guards the main entrance. Two streams
flow through the grounds and several
acres are covered by q virgin growth of
trees.
THE RESIDENCE
is comfortable one, with plenty of corners
and gables and is cozy looking, rather than
ornate 1t stands on the slope of hill
which commands broad view of the val
ley. The background beyond the lawn is
covered with trees. The house itself is en-
tered by massive mahogany doorway, the
door of which is divided half way up,
leaving the lower half to be closed as
a gate. To the door Is attached
large artistic bronze knocker. The
massive proportions of the door convey at
once the idea OF hospitality and protection
The vestibule is laid with handsome Roman
mosaics. The style of the interior is at once
substantial quaint and curious, but the
ornamentation and appointments convey
rather an appearance of solid comfort than
mere adornment and ostentatious display
Every thing is made Subservient to the gov
erning thoughts of providing a simple home
which it was Mr. Childs' idea should be
retreat for the family to which they could
go between summer and winter, andNwhich
would also be medium between the elabo-
rately furnished winter residence in the
city and summer retreat at Long Branch
Inside superior taste and refinement are
visible as soon as you enter No expense
has been spared to produce the most elegant
and comfortable general appearance, while
avoiding anything pretehtious or tawdry.
The different rooms in the house are fur
nfShed with most exquisite taste and replete
with rare books. costly works of art, quaint
bric-a-hrac, historical treasures anu precious
nementOeS.
MRS. CHICDs' BoUDoIR,
in which, owing both to her quiet taste and
delicate health, she spends a great deal of
her time, is exquisitely furnished in satin
and lace. There is a lavatory on each floor
laid with marble, the bath tub and stands
inlaid with porcelain mounted with silver
A great, broad oak stairway, made like the
exterior approach to a Swiss chalet leads
up from the wide hall, which is also fin
ished in oak, and contains a great granite
fireplace, the mantel-piece having a
CuTlOuS-SIldpeu CLOCK Ill Fellel, Ule uldl Dear
ing the warning, YempuS fugit.
In little autograph album which gener-
ally lies on a chitfonniere in the library are
the names of distinguished men and women
who have been entertained either at Woo
ton or Sea Cliff Villa, Mr.. Childs' place at
Elberon. Many of the names are accompa-
MED by bits of sentiment apropos of the
splendid hospitality afforded the visitors.
AMONG THE NAMES
which catch the eye in the rapid turning of
the leaves are those of the late Gen. Grant,
Christine Nilsson, Secretary Bayard, Hon
Robert G. Winthrop. Ex-Secretary Hamil-
ton Fish, Thomas Hughes, Canon Farrar,
Henry Irving, Duke of Sutherland, Lord
Rose, Lord Rayleigh, the Lord Bishop of
Rochester, Sir Richard Temple, Mr.. Wal
ter, NJ. p, of the London Times,
Mr.. Chambers, the Edinburgh pub
Usher, Herbert Spencer, Sir Stafford
Northcote, NJ. p, Paul DuChaillu,
Prof Freeman, of Oxford. The Farmers
Club also has been frequently entertained at
dinner at Wooton. 1t is one of the most in
teresting social organizations in the State.
1t is composed of men of large wealth who
engage in farming for fun only, and pay a
good deal for their whistle
On brow of hill stands one of the most
interesting features of the place. 1t is tall
chestnut tree, with three trunks growing
from a common root. MIR. Childs has placed
CHARMING LITTLE PAVILION
up among the branches, to which access is
had by an iron spiral stairway. There on
summer Sundays and in late spring after
Moons, when he comes from his office, Mr..
Childs sits and reads his papers or books
From his perch he can catch a glimpse of a
large part of his, grounds. Far down the
slope of the hill he can see his conservatories
filled with rare and costly plants. Beyond is
an orchard planted with orchard trees, and
across the way ''rosery" containing every
variety of rose The rosery is one of Mr..
Childs' pet features and in the early summer
mornings he frequently spends an hour or
two walking among the blooming plants.
He sends roses to all parts of the country as
gifts to his friends. He is particularly
thoughtful of the aged in this respect, for,
says he, 'the aged are so soon forgotten by
the world generally" Out in the woods is a
fernery, composed of stumps thrown to-
gether in apparent confusion, but really
artistically arranged, and covered with
growing ferns Beyond this is a ''rookery,
over which water tumbies, coming again
into a placid lake. around which rustic set
tees are placed, forming delightful loung-
ing place
The useful is just as thoroughly looked
after as the ornamental.
THE FARM
ON the place is broad and highly cultivated.
The stables are enuaI to any in the country,